Ultra Mega Power Plants (India)

Ultra Mega Power projects (UMPP) are a series of ambitious power projects planned by the Government of India. With India being a country of chronic power deficit, the Government of India has planned to provide 'power for all' by the end of the eleventh plan. This would entail a creation of an additional capacity of at least 100,000 MW by 2012. The Ultra Mega Power projects each with a capacity of 4000 megawatts or above are being developed with an aim to bridge this gap.

The UMPPs are seen as an expansion of the MPP (Mega Power Projects) projects that the Government of India undertook in the nineties but met with limited success.The Ministry of Power in association with Central Electricity Authority and Power Finance Corporation Ltd has launched an initiative for development of coal-based UMPP's in India.These projects will be awarded to developers on the basis of competitive bidding..cite book |title=India Yearbook 2007 |publisher=Publications Division,Ministry of Information & Broadcasting,Govt. Of India |isbn=81-230-1423-6 |pages=Pg. 263 ]

List of proposed UMPPs

As of April 2008, nine UMPPs have been planned in Karnataka, Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Orissa, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Jharkhand

Of these, the ones planned in Chattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Orissa and Jharkhand will come up at pithead locations (near coal mines) and use domestic fuel, while the rest will come up in coastal locations with easy access to imported coal.On the request of the state governments of Andhra pradesh & Orissa ,two more sites have been identified which consist of a pithead site in Ib-Valley coalfield in Orissa and a coastal site at Krishnapatnam in Andhra Pradesh.The contract for Mundra UMPP has been given to Tata Power while Sasan and Krishnapatnam contracts have been awarded to Reliance Power Limited, a part of Reliance Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group.

Operational costs

The project is being developed with the intention of providing power to the consumers at the minimum cost. Because of the bigger size of these plants the cost of the project would be lower due to the economy of scale.The plants are estimated to cost roughly Rs. 15,000 crores each to set up. [ [http://pfc.gov.in/MOP_UMPP.pdf Microsoft Word - MOP_UMPP.doc ] ] The cost of generation per unit is estimated at under Rs.2.00. [ [http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2006/01/17/stories/2006011703180900.htm The Hindu Business Line : `Ultra-mega' power plants — Generation cost to be under Rs 2 per unit ] ]

pecial purpose vehicles

Special purpose vehicles or shell companies have been set up as wholly owned subsidiaries of the PFC in each of the above states to build, own and operate(BOO in economic parlance) these plants. The proposed shell companies are as under. [ [http://pfc.gov.in/MOP_UMPP.pdf Microsoft Word - MOP_UMPP.doc ] ]

* Sasan Power Limited (Sasan, Madhya Pradesh)
* Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (Mundra, Gujarat)
* Coastal Karnataka Power Limited (Tadri, Karnataka)
* Coastal Andhra Power Limited (Krishnapatnam, A.P.)
* Coastal Tamil Nadu Power Limited (Cheyyur, T.N.)
* Coastal Maharashtra Power Limited (Girye, Maharastra)
* Orissa Integrated Power Limited (Sundergarh district, Orissa)
* Jharkhand Integrated Power Limited (Tilaiya, Jharkhand)
* Akaltara Power Limited (Aklatara, Chattisgarh)

References

ee also

*Solar power in India
*Wind power in India

External links

* [http://pfc.gov.in/EA2003.pdf The Electricity Act, 2003]
* [http://pfc.gov.in/UMPP.html Official website of Power Finance Corporation detailing UMPP]
* [http://www.businessworld.in/APR2406/column01.asp Problems of UMP - an article in "Businessworld"]
* [http://in.rediff.com/money/2006/feb/28bud35.htm Government plans Ultra mega power projects]
* [http://pfc.gov.in/brief_umpp.pdf Brief description of Ultra mega power projects]